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caitnic's review against another edition
3.0
This story could have been SO GOOD. the mystery part of it was super interesting and is honestly what got me through the book but there is absolutely no feeling with this one. all these crazy things happen and it almost feels like I'm reading a summary in a news article or something. The reader is just so far removed from what's happening it's hard to connect. I wasn't scared when people were attacked or sad when the MCs had their rough moments or happy when they resolved things fairly quickly or even vindicated when the bad guys got what was coming to them. Even the romance felt out of place. I was excited to read about an established couple, and even though I always prefer the romance to be front and center, every now and again I don't mind when it comes in second to the plot, especially in a story like this with a good mystery. But honestly, you could take Jamie completely out of the book and it wouldn't change the story even a little bit. He was pretty much extraneous and totally unnecessary to the story despite being David's love for over 5 years. It was all just a very empty experience which I feel bad saying only because the potential is there for this one to have been amazing. I might try the author again in the future, the mystery was interesting enough to hold my attention at least so I know she can do that part right.
ebokhyllami's review against another edition
4.0
I was pleasantly surprised! This was my first novel by Liz Strange, and I read it in one go. It was not fast paced action or heavy suspence that actually kept me turning pages, more the authors captivating writing and the always new twist and turns of the story. Strange manages to build a very stong set of characters in this book, without making it too complex. David, the PI and main character, is a very convincing ex policeman working on a missing daughter case - and there is, of course, much more to the story than we are led to believe at the beginning. The writing is easy going, without ever being slow, boring or superfluous. I just found myself reading on and on, eager to see if my own conclusions through the novel matched the end.
A nice touch to the story is the parallel development of David's relationship to a prosecutor and how the existing investigation affects his personal life. This adds depth to the novel instead of taking the focus away from the original plot. It's difficult to review a crime novel and avoid spoilers, so I just have to say - Give it a try, because this is a very good read! :-)
A nice touch to the story is the parallel development of David's relationship to a prosecutor and how the existing investigation affects his personal life. This adds depth to the novel instead of taking the focus away from the original plot. It's difficult to review a crime novel and avoid spoilers, so I just have to say - Give it a try, because this is a very good read! :-)
nannyf's review against another edition
5.0
This book starts with a horrific homophobic attack on a police officer, David Lloyd. The after effects he suffers from this attack mean he cannot continue in his career, so he instead opens his own Private Investigations agency.
David's case in this book focuses on a missing person, Stella Barrowman. Her mother, Marjory, has become concerned as Stella has been missing for over 2 months, and the police don't seem interested in finding her.
The descriptive work the author does throughout this book is amazing. Her descriptions convey exactly what is needed, to the finest detail, to allow the reader to see the scene in their mind while reading.
David's investigation takes him from a dance studio to a strip club in an attempt to figure out what has happened to Stella.
What begins as a straight forward missing persons case turns into something far more the further he delves into Stella's life. He finds himself, as well as several other people involved in the case, in danger on more than one occasion.
He has to sort out the truth from the lies, and finds more than one member of Stella's own family is deeply involved in what has happened to her.
During the course of his investigation he has to deal with the person he knows was responsible for the attack on him which ended his police career. Can he keep his feelings for this person in check and move on, with both the investigation and his personal relationship, or will seeing him again bring the memories he has fought to suppress back to the surface?
This book has a lot of themes within its pages ranging from homophobia, drugs and drug abuse, to the sex industry and gangs. David has to deal with a lot in his personal relationship and the fact that several incidents cause him to remember his own attack, something he doesn't want to do.
The main storyline, that of the missing person, is a good one. The author manages to keep the readers attention throughout by turning the investigation into a lot more than first thought.
There is a small part right at the end of the story which shows the compassion which David and his family have, it gave me a nice feeling reading that. It's good to know that there are people out there willing to give others a second chance. That, I feel, is the moral in this story. After everything he has been through David can find it in his heart to trust someone he doesn't truly know in a way which could very easily be abused. I hope that the next book in this series, A Fresh Set Of Eyes, continues in the same vein.
David's case in this book focuses on a missing person, Stella Barrowman. Her mother, Marjory, has become concerned as Stella has been missing for over 2 months, and the police don't seem interested in finding her.
The descriptive work the author does throughout this book is amazing. Her descriptions convey exactly what is needed, to the finest detail, to allow the reader to see the scene in their mind while reading.
David's investigation takes him from a dance studio to a strip club in an attempt to figure out what has happened to Stella.
What begins as a straight forward missing persons case turns into something far more the further he delves into Stella's life. He finds himself, as well as several other people involved in the case, in danger on more than one occasion.
He has to sort out the truth from the lies, and finds more than one member of Stella's own family is deeply involved in what has happened to her.
During the course of his investigation he has to deal with the person he knows was responsible for the attack on him which ended his police career. Can he keep his feelings for this person in check and move on, with both the investigation and his personal relationship, or will seeing him again bring the memories he has fought to suppress back to the surface?
This book has a lot of themes within its pages ranging from homophobia, drugs and drug abuse, to the sex industry and gangs. David has to deal with a lot in his personal relationship and the fact that several incidents cause him to remember his own attack, something he doesn't want to do.
The main storyline, that of the missing person, is a good one. The author manages to keep the readers attention throughout by turning the investigation into a lot more than first thought.
There is a small part right at the end of the story which shows the compassion which David and his family have, it gave me a nice feeling reading that. It's good to know that there are people out there willing to give others a second chance. That, I feel, is the moral in this story. After everything he has been through David can find it in his heart to trust someone he doesn't truly know in a way which could very easily be abused. I hope that the next book in this series, A Fresh Set Of Eyes, continues in the same vein.
canadianbookaddict's review against another edition
4.0
Ok I don't read mystery novels much these days but I was excited to review this one because so far I have been really liking Liz Strange's writing and this book did not disappoint me .
I just couldn't put this one down because the book was just so darn good.
Can't wait to start reading the next book in this series .
I just couldn't put this one down because the book was just so darn good.
Can't wait to start reading the next book in this series .
suze_1624's review
4.0
I did enjoy the mystery part of the novel, the threads unravelling themselves as David stirred up the protagonists. And whilst the bad guys were known early on, their crimes were not fully revealed until the end.
Then there were the secondary plots of the attack on David and his relationship with Jamie. The horrendous attack happened whilst he was still on the police force and whilst the whole event wasn't fully resolved inthis book, there was enough to give closure for now - and a need to read the further stories!
I did like that whilst on the surface, David and Jamie had had a long and happy relationship, once a few questions were asked, they were on shaky ground for a little while. Their relationship proved quite strong and has resolution within the book to satisfy.
A great read, and I'll be looking for others featuring David and Jamie
Then there were the secondary plots of the attack on David and his relationship with Jamie. The horrendous attack happened whilst he was still on the police force and whilst the whole event wasn't fully resolved inthis book, there was enough to give closure for now - and a need to read the further stories!
I did like that whilst on the surface, David and Jamie had had a long and happy relationship, once a few questions were asked, they were on shaky ground for a little while. Their relationship proved quite strong and has resolution within the book to satisfy.
A great read, and I'll be looking for others featuring David and Jamie
jonetta's review
4.0
David Lloyd was a Toronto police detective until a brutal homophobic assault ended his career and changed his life. It's been five years and he now owns a private detective agency. Marjory Barrowman enlists his help to find her troubled daughter, Stella, who has been missing and not heard from for over two months.
On the surface, discovering what has happened to Stella shouldn't be that difficult given her circumstances. She has a serious drug habit and had a pretty small circle of acquaintances, including her drug buddies. However, David soon finds out that not everyone wants her found and has to struggle through lies, deception and cover ups from just about everyone connected. Meanwhile, he's also in a relationship with Jamie Brennen, a successful prosecuting attorney who hasn't yet come out about his sexuality and that's creating tension.
This is very much an investigation procedural but unencumbered by process and police protocol. David is pretty skilled and takes a lot of risks. The case was interesting and had me shifting emotionally throughout as what began as a belief of the truth kept being dismantled as David continued to explore the case. The search uncovered some real nasty characters and circumstances and unexpected turns of events. Some I saw coming and others took me by surprise. I also liked how his relationship with Jamie was woven throughout the story and not as a disconnected, separate storyline. Both are really well designed characters and I loved their relationship. Their romance was sensitively portrayed and you couldn't help but root for them as they faced obstacles from family and other relationships.
There were occasions where there seemed to be extraneous dialogue that could be implied to have occured by the reader. It didn't bog down the story or my reading enjoyment but was something I noticed.
I enjoyed the mystery and the journey to solve this case but even more, I loved David and Jamie's developing relationship. This is the first book in the series and I plan to continue it as soon as the author writes the next one.
(I was provided an ARC from the author)
On the surface, discovering what has happened to Stella shouldn't be that difficult given her circumstances. She has a serious drug habit and had a pretty small circle of acquaintances, including her drug buddies. However, David soon finds out that not everyone wants her found and has to struggle through lies, deception and cover ups from just about everyone connected. Meanwhile, he's also in a relationship with Jamie Brennen, a successful prosecuting attorney who hasn't yet come out about his sexuality and that's creating tension.
This is very much an investigation procedural but unencumbered by process and police protocol. David is pretty skilled and takes a lot of risks. The case was interesting and had me shifting emotionally throughout as what began as a belief of the truth kept being dismantled as David continued to explore the case. The search uncovered some real nasty characters and circumstances and unexpected turns of events. Some I saw coming and others took me by surprise. I also liked how his relationship with Jamie was woven throughout the story and not as a disconnected, separate storyline. Both are really well designed characters and I loved their relationship. Their romance was sensitively portrayed and you couldn't help but root for them as they faced obstacles from family and other relationships.
There were occasions where there seemed to be extraneous dialogue that could be implied to have occured by the reader. It didn't bog down the story or my reading enjoyment but was something I noticed.
I enjoyed the mystery and the journey to solve this case but even more, I loved David and Jamie's developing relationship. This is the first book in the series and I plan to continue it as soon as the author writes the next one.
(I was provided an ARC from the author)
kaje_harper's review against another edition
4.0
This story started out very well, with ex-cop turned PI David Lloyd hired to track down a missing young woman. At the same time, David is getting very restless about his partner of 5 years still insisting on keeping separate homes and a tight closet at his workplace and family. David's sick of being Jamie's dirty secret, but he loves Jamie deeply and they are very good together.
As the case heats up and becomes complex, with prostitution, addiction, hints of abuse and exploitation of a vulnerable young woman, David begins to flash back to his own homophobic beating that caused permanent injuries and took him off the police force. He turns to Jamie for support, but wants more than just hugs in private, and distance in public.
I was a bit disappointed by the action in the last quarter and some aspects of how David, an ex-cop, keeps going off on his own without backup arranged, or waits to bring in the cops even when a 911 call seems appropriate. I also wondered why he didn't seem to be constantly taking photos and documenting suspicious meetings between the various principals in the case - surely a PI staple. But I am willing to allow some slack (including his extreme slowness to reach obvious first suspicions) to the way he emotionally conflated what happened to the missing girl with his own assault.
The personal side of this story was well done - empathic with some emotion but not too angsty, and plausible. I'm tempted to pick up the next one, to follow a dangling personal thread, even though professionals behaving in unprofessional ways on the job is a bit of a pet peeve for me.
As the case heats up and becomes complex, with prostitution, addiction, hints of abuse and exploitation of a vulnerable young woman, David begins to flash back to his own homophobic beating that caused permanent injuries and took him off the police force. He turns to Jamie for support, but wants more than just hugs in private, and distance in public.
I was a bit disappointed by the action in the last quarter and some aspects of how David, an ex-cop, keeps going off on his own without backup arranged, or waits to bring in the cops even when a 911 call seems appropriate. I also wondered why he didn't seem to be constantly taking photos and documenting suspicious meetings between the various principals in the case - surely a PI staple. But I am willing to allow some slack (including his extreme slowness to reach obvious first suspicions) to the way he emotionally conflated what happened to the missing girl with his own assault.
The personal side of this story was well done - empathic with some emotion but not too angsty, and plausible. I'm tempted to pick up the next one, to follow a dangling personal thread, even though professionals behaving in unprofessional ways on the job is a bit of a pet peeve for me.
literaryfeline's review against another edition
4.0
I went from the high octane action novel The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes into the more laid back classic P.I. novel, Missing Daughter, Shattered Family. David Lloyd is a former police officer turned private investigator who is hired to find the missing daughter of a prominent Toronto family. The young woman has not contacted her family in months, something highly unusual for her. Her history of drug abuse and mental illness make it all too easy to assume she either took off or possibly overdosed. As the case unfolds, David finds that not all the facts are lining up--nor are all the people he is interviewing being completely honest with him. The closer he gets to the truth, the more feathers he ruffles, and the more someone turns to violence to warn him away.
Missing Daughter, Shattered Family was refreshing in its old school detective approach. David does a lot of leg work, interviewing friends and family of the missing woman. The novel starts out slow admittedly, but it didn't take long for me to be hooked in, wondering what the author had in store for me--and her characters.
David is a likeable guy. He has all the makings of a good detective. He is ethical and diligent. He isn't easily intimidated and he is ever persistent. He looks beyond the words spoken to him and seems to be a good judge of character. He knows how to turn on the charm and use it to his advantage.
David's past comes back to haunt him as he works on the case and he comes face to face with the police officer who got him kicked off the force. Beaten severely, resulting in a knee injury and hearing loss, as a result of being gay, David had no choice but to step down from his position on the police force. He knows the men who beat him were fellow police officers, but unfortunately he has no proof. Memories from that incident come flooding back and David struggles to deal with his past as well as search for the missing girl. The author could have taken this in several different directions, but I like how it was kept in the background. It clearly was a significant and horrific event in the protagonist's life, shaping who David had become, but it never overshadowed the main story line.
On the home front, David is dealing with personal issues as well. His long time partner, Jamie, has still not come out to his family and coworkers. This has created some tension between the two men, which finally comes to a head. I really got a feel for how both men must have felt and my heart went out to Jamie.
The personal story line played nicely into the main plot--giving it a nice balance. As with any mystery, such a side story makes the characters more real in the reader's mind. It helps paint a fuller picture of the character as a human being. And it did for me in this case.
As an aside, kudos for the author for throwing in the paperwork! How often do you see the protagonist in a mystery actually complete any of the required paperwork? It was realistic touches like this that made me especially appreciate the novel.
The mystery was at times predictable and formulaic, but I enjoyed getting to know David and following him along on his investigation. Overall, I enjoyed Missing Daughter, Shattered Family. I wouldn't have heard of this novel had it not been for its being short-listed for an Independent Literary Award, and so am grateful to have had the opportunity to read it.
Missing Daughter, Shattered Family was refreshing in its old school detective approach. David does a lot of leg work, interviewing friends and family of the missing woman. The novel starts out slow admittedly, but it didn't take long for me to be hooked in, wondering what the author had in store for me--and her characters.
David is a likeable guy. He has all the makings of a good detective. He is ethical and diligent. He isn't easily intimidated and he is ever persistent. He looks beyond the words spoken to him and seems to be a good judge of character. He knows how to turn on the charm and use it to his advantage.
David's past comes back to haunt him as he works on the case and he comes face to face with the police officer who got him kicked off the force. Beaten severely, resulting in a knee injury and hearing loss, as a result of being gay, David had no choice but to step down from his position on the police force. He knows the men who beat him were fellow police officers, but unfortunately he has no proof. Memories from that incident come flooding back and David struggles to deal with his past as well as search for the missing girl. The author could have taken this in several different directions, but I like how it was kept in the background. It clearly was a significant and horrific event in the protagonist's life, shaping who David had become, but it never overshadowed the main story line.
On the home front, David is dealing with personal issues as well. His long time partner, Jamie, has still not come out to his family and coworkers. This has created some tension between the two men, which finally comes to a head. I really got a feel for how both men must have felt and my heart went out to Jamie.
The personal story line played nicely into the main plot--giving it a nice balance. As with any mystery, such a side story makes the characters more real in the reader's mind. It helps paint a fuller picture of the character as a human being. And it did for me in this case.
As an aside, kudos for the author for throwing in the paperwork! How often do you see the protagonist in a mystery actually complete any of the required paperwork? It was realistic touches like this that made me especially appreciate the novel.
The mystery was at times predictable and formulaic, but I enjoyed getting to know David and following him along on his investigation. Overall, I enjoyed Missing Daughter, Shattered Family. I wouldn't have heard of this novel had it not been for its being short-listed for an Independent Literary Award, and so am grateful to have had the opportunity to read it.
nightcolors's review
4.0
Missing Daughter, Shattered Family was an interesting mystery novel. David was a likable guy and a good detective. I liked that he really cared about people. Though I often wished he had more backup whenever his investigation led him into dangerous situations...
I'm looking forward to reading the second book in the series.
I'm looking forward to reading the second book in the series.
claudia_is_reading's review against another edition
4.0
A very good book. I liked the characters, particularly the way the MCs dealt with their issues both, personal and as a couple. I really liked the mystery, too; not a flashy one, au contraire, a very mean, dark, real one.
The writing is not perfect, the dialogues are a bit awkward for moments but the plot and the characters were enough to keep me hooked until the end.
I'll keep reading this series, that's for sure.
The writing is not perfect, the dialogues are a bit awkward for moments but the plot and the characters were enough to keep me hooked until the end.
I'll keep reading this series, that's for sure.